Barcelona 2 - Zaragoza 0

Barcelona: Reina; Puyol, Christanval, Frank De Boer, Sergi (Overmars 83'); Gabri, Xavi, Cocu; Kluivert (Coco 80'); Saviola, Rivaldo (Alfonso 87'). 4-3-1-2.
Zaragoza: Láinez; Pablo, Aguado, Paco, Esquerdinha; Chainho, Toro Acuña; Juanele (Corona 73'), Galletti (Marcos Vales 67'), Vellisca (Garitano 46'); Bilic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Reina, Sergi, Xavi, Rivaldo for Bonano, Coco, Geovanni, Overmars / Zaragoza: Pablo, Bilic for Rebosio, Yordi.

Goals:
1-0. 45. Kluivert. First time shot inside near post after Sergi laid back from left wing.
2-0. 54. Saviola. Tap in after Kluivert took Sergi pass and laid ball across.

Barcelona took advantage of slip ups by most of the teams above them to close up on the European spots with a comfortable victory over Zaragoza. Rexach left Rochemback and Geovanni out of the squad after they turned up late from their vacations, and also replaced keeper Bonano with Spanish under-21 international Reina after he gave away a soft goal against neighbours Espanyol in the last match. Rivaldo was also back to full fitness, although he received a mixed reception at first from the more radical fans after his unfortunate declaration midweek that Brazil had nothing to gain from playing a friendly against Catalunya.

Barcelona dominated the first half against a poor Zaragoza side, who without the injured Yordi were lacking in strike power up front. Láinez made a point blank save from Saviola and the defence cleared a diving Frank De Boer header off the line before Kluivert finally broke the ice on the stroke of half time, getting ahead of his marker to poke Sergi's cross wide of the keeper. Two minutes after the restart the Dutch striker almost made it two, hitting the inside of the post again after a pass in from Sergi, and a few minutes later he slid the ball through to Saviola for him to score into an unmarked net.

Zaragoza's only reply had been a penalty appeal for a foul on Juanele in the first half plus a couple of long shots from Acuña, and all but Láinez gave up as Barcelona poured on the pressure. The Catalans hit the woodwork twice more and Láinez had to stretch to tip Rivaldo's lob over the bar before referee Ramírez Domínguez called an end to proceedings to put the visitors out of their misery. Victories for the teams below them mean that Zaragoza drop once more to within sight of the relegation spots, and on this form it may not be long before they are in the bottom three. Barça put aside their crisis for now, and with four games against smaller teams coming up, they have an opportunity to move back up the table. They end the weekend in seventh, but are now only three points behind second placed Deportivo.